In the absence of external security threats - and especially given that most of the EU member states are also members of NATO - what explains the European Union's commitment to a distinct, collective security policy? What justifies channeling funds from cash-strapped European governments to finance that policy?Ranging from the early post - Cold War years to the present, Stephanie Anderson explores the arguably surprising motivation behind the EU's security and defense policy, how the ESDP has developed, how it has transformed the EU, and how it might further the European integration project.This book explores the arguably surprising motivation behind the EU's security and defense policy, how the ESDP has developed, and how it might further the European integration project.